Living a Nightmare
by SwitchGab
Summary: One night, Zack has a nightmare and there's only one person who can help with his fear of losing his loved ones. HIATUS.
1. The Nightmare

**Living a Nightmare**

**Disclaimer – I do not own The Suite Life of Zack and Cody… Although if I had the chance, I'd take it:)**

**A/N – Please review…**

Chapter 1, The Nightmare 

_Zack crept into the darkness of the jungle. He had one mission. Save Maddie. He thought, "Once I save her life, she'll thank me and—" His thoughts were interrupted by a shrill scream. It must be… "Maddie!" Zack hissed._

_He slashed the wild, untamed grass and his eyes bugged at what he had encountered. There Zack stood, little, puny, innocent. And in front of him was a humongous temple, huge, enormous, and uninviting. It was covered in vines and had an eye engraved at the point of the temple. Zack shivered at the sight of it. "Maddie must be in there." Zack whispered. He took another step forward, and another, and another. "What am I doing? The love of my life is being tortured and I'm hesitating to save her?" Zack shook his head and ran inside._

_As he entered the mysterious place, he could smell fire and heard the sound of... Boiling water… "Boiling water? Oh no." Zack ran, he didn't even know where to go. Looking through the cracked doors he passed by, there was no sign of Maddie. "You there!"_

_Zack turned around to see a bulky man about six foot three pointing at him. "Ahh!" Zack yelled. "Hey, come back here!" The strange man screamed after Zack. Zack ran and ran until he entered a room with a huge boiling pot sitting in the middle of the room. "Zack!" _

_Zack looked up and saw Maddie, tied with rope and slowly sinking down into the steaming pot. "Maddie, what happened?"_

_Maddie's eyes looked stung and seemed like she was about to cry. She shook her head and said, "I'll tell you later, just get me out of here!"_

"_R-right." Zack stammered and stepped beside the pot. "But how do I free you?" Zack asked. "I don't know, Zack! Please hurry up, I know you'll figure out a way, I know you're smart!" _

_That comment from Maddie pushed Zack into working faster. "Hey, what do you think you are you doing?" The big man that was chasing Zack earlier stood at the doorway. He rushed over to Zack and picked him up, to him, Zack was a feather. "Zack! HEEELP!" Maddie screamed._

"_Shut up, little lady!" The big guy yelled at Maddie. Now that made Zack really mad. "Nobody… Tells Maddie… To SHUT UP!" Zack yelled in clenched teeth and stabbed his two fingers into the huge man's eyes. _

"_OUCH!" He yelled. Zack freed from the stranger's grasp and continued to look for a way to save Maddie. _

"_Zack! I'm sinking faster! I'm almost touching the—OUCH!" Maddie started and her shoe touched the boiling water. _

_Zack found the end of the rope of which wrapped Maddie. 'How do I free her? If I untie it, she'll fall into the water, but if I try to push the pot, it's too heavy!' Zack thought. _

_After that thought, he entered blackness. _

_Zack awoke in the hospital. The room was white, his bed was white, and the nurse that has stepped into the room wore white. "I see you are awake, Mr. Martin. Are you well yet?"_

_Zack didn't know why, but a rush of madness fell over him. "I don't know! You tell me, after all, you're the nurse!" The nurse backed away. "Doctor! He's ready."_

'_Ready for what?' Zack thought. A man walked into the room and sat in the chair next to Zack's bed. "Hello, Zack."_

_He grunted. "How do you feel?" The doctor asked. Zack grunted again. "Why do you guys keep asking me that? I'm fine. Got it?"_

_The doctor nodded and scribbled something on the clipboard he was carrying. "Okay, we have some good news and some bad news. Which do you want to hear first?" Zack didn't really think about it and said, "I don't care."_

_Surprised, the doctor began talking. "Well, I'll give you the good news first. But, before I tell you, just tell me if you remember anything before you awoke."_

_Zack was almost asleep but tried to remember. "I was in the jungle…" He shot up. "Trying to save Maddie! Where is she? Is she alright!"_

_The doctor smiled and put his hand on Zack's shoulder. "Yes, Mr. Martin, she's quite alright. That's what I was going to say. You see, when our paramedics found you, you were lying on the floor in the pyramid with Maddie who had been bruised in many places. She was the one who called the hospital. She's conscious, but very hurt, you see the man who was chasing you—"_

_Zack opened his mouth and came, "What happened? He was the one who hurt Maddie wasn't he? Huh? That stupid butthole should be arrested. Did you know he tried to strangle me?"_

_By then the doctor was shaking his head. "Now that's the bad news. You see, that man is dead."_

_Zack smiled. "Good."_

_Again, the doctor shook his head, "Let me talk, Zack. See, that man was trying to save you and Maddie. He was chasing you and trying to free Maddie, too."_

_Zack frowned. "Oh… OH."_

"_Yes… Now, here's the bad part. Cody was—"_

"_OH NO! I totally forgot about him, where is he?" Zack asked._

"_Hold on, hold on. You might not want to hear this but Cody was the one who tied Maddie up."_

_Zack opened his mouth. He couldn't believe it. "Wh-why? How could he?" The doctor AGAIN shook his head. "He was jealous of you because he found out Maddie was in love with you and Cody was secretly in love with Maddie."_

"_No… No. No, no, no…" Zack was confused. _

"_I'm not done yet. Also, Cody.." The doctor started, and gulped. "Cody killed that man, too." _

_Zack couldn't believe it. "No! Cody wouldn't do that… Would he?" The doctor put up his finger. _

"_There's one more thing, Zack."_

_Zack shook his head. "There's MORE?" The doctor nodded._

"_That man, the stranger, you say. You're savior… Was your… Father."_


	2. The Nightmare Comes to Life

**Living a Nightmare**

**Disclaimer – I do not own The Suite Life of Zack and Cody… Although if I had the chance, I'd take it:)**

**A/N – Please review…**

**Chapter 2, Living the Nightmare Begins**

Zack woke up sweaty and on the floor. He finally realized he was screaming his lungs out. He hadn't known what had happened was a dream, he thought it was real. And he still does.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and quickly turned around. It was Cody. "Aaahh! Get away from me! You… You traitor!"

Cody backed away and the door opened. Carey stood at the door way and helped Zack and Cody up. "What's going on? Zack, why were you screaming?" Zack pointed at Cody. "He is the problem! He tried to kill Maddie! He killed DAD!"

Cody stared at Zack, horrified. Carey blinked and hugged Zack. "Oh… Sshh… It was just a nightmare… Go to sleep."

Cody nodded. "Y-yeah Zack. It's just a dream… Go to bed." Zack looked up. _'Was it really a dream? It seemed… So real.' _Zack thought.

The next morning, after the horrible dream, Zack woke up with a bloody nose. "Aaah! I haven't had one of these since 3rd grade! That's when Cody punched me on accident!" Zack looked at Cody and pointed. "You… You did THIS! You tried to KILL ME!"

Cody stood up from his bed. "No I didn't! Mom! Tell Zack that I'm innocent! Please!"

The twin's mom once again entered the room. "Zack, honey. Cody didn't punch you. And will you get over the fact that you had a bad dream, please. Come on, go to the bathroom and clean your face."

Zack felt bad. It was a dream. "I'm sorry Cody. Just promise you to never fall in love with Maddie." Cody made a puzzled face; due to the fact Zack never explained his nightmare.

"Okay… I promise." Cody finally said. Zack smiled.

The rest of the day seemed like it was one thousand years. Zack spent his day in their suite and watched TV. Cody on the other hand, went through that day with little conversation with Zack and studying and watching TV with Zack.

"Hey Zack." Cody brought up the next morning. (A/N – By the way, it's the weekend.)

Zack looked up from his cereal and said, "Hmm."

"Do you mind, er, explaining the nightmare you had to me?" Cody asked, wondering.

Zack frowned and thought about it. _'Should I tell him? What if he takes it the wrong way? Hmm. I should tell him, I mean he's my brother. No, he's my TWIN!'_ "Well… Cody, promise you won't tell anybody. Even though it's just a dream, I mean, nightmare, it feels to me that it's kind of personal…"

Cody responded quickly. "Of course! I mean, hey, I'm your brother. Usually you're the one begging me to say something personal about… something…? Oops, sorry, not the time, eh?"

"You better apologize, or I'm not telling you." Acting childish, Zack crossed his arms and turned in the chair.

Cody wanted to guffaw at Zack's immaturity but he really wanted to hear his problem. "I'm sorry, okay? Please tell me, I really want to know."

Zack turned back to Cody and started to explain his nightmare. "Well… How do I start? Ok. It started out me in the jungle and I was trying to save Maddie. I heard her scream and when I followed the scream, I found a… A… What were those things the Egyptians built?"

Cody rolled his eyes because they just studied the Egyptians last week. "They're called pyramids and temples. Now go on."

Zack smiled. "Yeah, that's what it's called. Anyway, when I went inside, a man was chasing me and I ran into a room with Maddie tied up into rope and was about to … Fall into a boiling pot."

Cody interrupted Zack and gasped. "Who did it?"

Zack gulped and said, "Well, since you wanted to hear this nightmare, er… You were the one who… tied Maddie up."

"No… So that's why you called me a traitor. Sorry if that hurt your feelings, but just remember, it wasn't real."

"Y-yeah… Yeah, it wasn't real. So anyway, I tried saving Maddie but then the guy that was chasing me came in and picked me up. Somebody hit me and the stranger died."

"Oh that's sad. Who killed him?" Cody asked, not knowing what Zack was going to say.

"Er, that's the bad part… The stranger wasn't a stranger… I guess I didn't recognize him. It was… Dad."

"No…" Cody said.

"Yes. And… You k-killed him…" Zack frowned.

"WHAT? I wouldn't do that! But, why?" Cody asked, surprised.

Zack winced at Cody's explosion. "You got jealous because you liked Maddie and you found out Maddie was in love with me…"

Cody started to object, "Well, just to let you know, I will never fall in love with your lady."

Zack smiled once again. "Thanks. Anyway, I woke up in the hospital, I mean, in the nightmare. Then, I REALLY woke up." He looked at Cody. "Are you satisfied? It felt worse then I told it. You wouldn't understand."

Cody looked hurt. "Why wouldn't understand? I'm your twin."

Zack was confused. "I don't know… I just feel like nobody would understand what I feel like right now. Well look at the time! I gotta go." Zack stood up and walked out the door.

Cody shrugged. "Wait a minute. Zack doesn't have a watch! Wait up, Zack!"

When Cody met up with Zack downstairs, he found Zack sitting down on the guest chair. "Hey Zack."

"Why are you following me?" Zack said as he looked up.

Cody wiggled his brow. "No reason. You just wanted to get away from me, didn't you?" Cody said, frowning.

"Maybe." Zack said, barely opening his mouth. Cody looked at Zack and asked, "I thought we concluded that all the things that happened in the nightmare is unreal?"

Zack shrugged. "I-I know. I'm just afraid of losing everybody. You know, about dad and almost losing Maddie. And I really don't want you turning bad."

Cody sat down next to Zack. "Don't worry bro, I'll never turn bad. Anyway, it's Sunday and it's still morning. I'm heading out to the pool. Wanna come?"

Zack forced on a smile. "Okay, sure. But, I'm gonna take a while to get up to the room and back down. But, I'll be there."

"Okay, I'm going to get a candy bar." Cody said to Zack, while getting up and heading to the candy counter. "Hey Maddie."

The candy counter girl looked up, "Hey Cody, what do you want?"

"Just a Chocolate Bar please." While Maddie got the candy, Cody examined Maddie. He thought, _'Wow, I never noticed how nice Maddie looked. Wait, am I thinking about Maddie? I can't. I promised Zack! But, I can't help it… I just noticed how pretty she looks. She looks way older than when we first met her. Hey, she cut her hair. Never noticed that. Wait! I'm doing it again. I cannot start falling for Maddie. I just cannot.'_

"Heeellooo… Cody." Maddie waved her hand in front of his face. "Here's your candy bar."

Cody shook his head. "Sorry. Thanks." Cody handed Maddie a dollar and started to head upstairs to put on his swimming trunks.

And the nightmare begins.


	3. Cody's Little Secret

**Living a Nightmare**

**Disclaimer – Sadly, I do not own the SLOZC… Although I wish I could!**

**A/N – Please review… Review replies from my second chapter are at the end. THIS CHAPTER ISN'T REALLY THAT IMPORTANT… IT'S NOT A MAJOR, IT'S A MINOR… (If you get what I mean. NOTHING IMPORTANT HAPPENS IN HERE… SORREH.) **

Chapter 3, Cody's Little Secret 

Cody Martin was now in his swimming trunks and swinging his goggles on his wrist. Earlier he asked Zack if he wanted to go down to the pool with him, Cody bet Zack wasn't even down there yet. But, that wasn't the thing that was on Cody's mind.

The young, smart, thirteen year old boy had a lot of things in his mind, actually. You know, the regular (at least for Cody.) Math equations, samples of reading comprehension, EMC squared, the usual. But, there was one unusual thing. Very unusual. It was something he never thought about since he had met a girl named Rebecca who was at the Tipton trying to win a contest that Cody never wanted to remember again. Yeah. That unusual thought was about a girl. It was…

About Maddie.

"I mean, I promised Zack! And what did I do? I did it. I like her, ok?" Cody looked up from the swimming pool's beach chair.

Cody was randomly talking to Esteban, the Tipton's bellboy. "Sorry, Cody. I cannot chitchat right now, I came up here to fix the ice cream machine, I better fix it before four o'clock ice cream. Yum." Esteban shook his head and stared at Cody. "Did you just say you like Maddie? Oh no. You should not have told me that. You know I am a blabbermouth… Oh Cody, will you ever forgive me if I told anyone?" Esteban asked Cody, in his usual accent.

"No."

Esteban opened his mouth but then closed it and said. "Bye, Cody. I gotta go fix that ice cream machine… Heh…" Esteban left.

Cody stood up and yelled at the bellboy, "Esteban, where 'ya going?" Cody turned around and found himself face-to-face with his twin. "Why, hello there, Zack."

Zack just stared. "You did it, didn't you? I can't believe you. You promised!"

Cody fell onto his knees. "Oh Zack, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! I mean, she was right there! I couldn't help it!"

Zack raised his eyebrow. "What are you talking about? She? Who is She? I meant you promised you would never wear my swimming trunks again, now look what you're wearing!"

Cody felt like an idiotic moron. "Oh… Yeah. Sorry. I'll go back upstairs and change." He started to get up.

"Naw, it's alright. I was just kidding. Good thing mom bought the special deal of buy a pair of swimming trunks, get two free. I just wore my other pair."

Cody still felt light headed at the thought of Zack finding out his crush on Maddie. "Yep… I get everything fuh-ree!"

Zack shoved his brother. "And how do you know I'm not the one getting all the free stuff mom buys, little brother?"

The other twin smiled. "Just like you said, you came first. Big brother, the first or eldest ones always gets the paid things. Yeah, it's good being the younger brother."

Zack glared playfully at Cody. "Quit your yapping and let's go in the pool. I'll race you."

"Okay, how many laps?"

"Just two, I don't feel too energetic today."

Cody didn't think about it and blurted out, "Is it the nightmare that's bothering you?"

Zack fell silent. His brother realized it was not the right time to speak of it. "Sorry Zack, I didn't mean to…"

"I-it's okay. You know, it's just a nightmare, it's not like it's going to become real, right?"

"Right."

"I mean really," Zack snorted, "You'll never fall in love with Maddie. Insane!"

Cody felt his stomach do a hundred jumping jacks. "Er… I feel like I need a bathroom break. I'll be back."

His brother shrugged and Cody headed to the bathroom. _'I can't let Zack find out about me you-know-whatting on you-know-who. But, I can't keep this secret forever. I told Esteban and I know he'll tell. Like when you-know-who was practicing mouth to mouth with the lifeguard, London told Esteban and he had to tell Muriel. That is not good. Zack will find out sooner or later. I just hope not too soon so I can get over my crush on Maddie.'_

Standing in the bathroom with nothing to do, he looked at himself in the foggy mirror. In the reflection, Cody saw a young boy with blonde hair, sleepy eyes, and an innocent look. "That's right, I'm innocent." Cody whispered to himself.

He walked out of the bathroom and headed towards the pool once again. He splashed inside and landed next to Zack.

Zack laughed to himself. "Did you have a nice potty break, Cody?"

"Very funny. Okay, ready… Set… GO!" Cody started swimming.

Zack was confused. "Huh? Oh yeah, the race! Wait, that's not fair, start over… Do-over! Oh come on…" Zack called at Cody.

Cody smiled. "Don't be a sore loser, Zack! Come on hurry up! I'm almost halfway through the first lap!"

Zack grunted and started swimming. "I'm going to get you back, Cody." He mumbled to himself.

With all the energy you could see in Cody, you would have never guessed he had his own little secret… For now, at least.

* * *

A/N - Sorry this chapter was so short; I'll try to make it longer next time!

**REFIEW REPLIES!**

jumanji – Thanks for reviewing! Do you really think that was a good second chappie? (: I hope you like this chapter!

SethxSummer4Evah – Thanks, I like it too. (:

CRIMS0N HAZE – Very first reviewer… Har har, thanks for the review. This topic just popped into my head one day. Hope you liked this chapter, its not really important though.


	4. Bad or Suspicious, I'm There

**Living a Nightmare**

**Disclaimer – I do not own The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. Boo hoo. –cry-**

**A/N – PUH-LEASE review.**

Chapter 4.. Bad or Suspicious, I'm there for you.

Cody tossed and turned all night. He couldn't get HER off his mind. It was like getting away from a cop in traffic. He just couldn't stop thinking about her. Think of what Zack will think of him.

A traitor.

Just like what Zack said to Cody the night he had his nightmare. _"Aaahh! Get away from me! You… You traitor!"_ Yep. It was still in his mind, next to you-know-who. Cody had been terrified when Zack called him a traitor.

Sure, Zack called Cody a lot of names before. You know, like: Loser, smarty-pants, freak, geek, nerd… Well, you get the point. But, never before has Zack call Cody a traitor. The two brothers were best buddies! Not traitors. So, Cody hoped Zack will never find out about Maddie and call him a traitor. Ever. Again.

When Zack awoke at 7:00 am, he felt like talking to Maddie. He hadn't talked to Maddie in 3 days. It doesn't seem long, but to Zack… Pshh. Three days without seeing his crush is like four hundred thousand years! Zack also maybe wanted to discuss his nightmare to Maddie.

Maybe.

He walked into his and Cody's room and shook Cody. "Cody wake up."

Zack's response from Cody was a quite snore. "Cody… CODY THE HOTEL IS ON FIRE!" Yelled Zack. He grinned.

Cody darted up and started screaming. "Huh? What? WHEN? WHERE? Why?"

Zack started laughing and rolling on the floor. His head bumped the door, well, more like the door bumped his head when the twins' mom busted inside. "Ow…"

Carey yelled, "Where is the fire? Come here, Zack, Cody."

Zack got up from the floor. "Mom. Mom, mom, mom, mom! There's no fire." Carey sighed, loud.

"Zack, don't ever do that again. You scared me so much!" She put her hand to her heart.

"Sorry mom. I just wanted to wake up Cody." Zack confessed.

Cody frowned. "And why didn't you just shake me gently?'

"Tried that. And believe me, it did not work!" Zack muttered. Cody shrugged. "So, what do you want me for, brother?" Cody said sleepily as Carey walked out of the room.

Zack yawned. "I want to go downstairs. I wanna talk to Maddie. Maybe explain my nightmare to her. Maybe."

Cody gulped. He didn't want to see Maddie. He didn't want to think about her. He didn't want to remember her. He knows how much Zack loves her, even though she only feels like being friends. Cody couldn't betray Zack, he promised.

"Uh, I can't." Cody said as an excuse. Zack objected. "Why? I don't want to go alone."

Cody asked, "How come? You always go downstairs and talk to Maddie alone. What's so different this time?" Zack winced. "I-I might need help explaining my nightmare. Might."

Cody gave up. He'd have to face Maddie sooner or later. A boy has got to eat, you know.

* * *

Zack waited for Cody to get dressed, which took really long, by the way. "Come on, Cody! Hurry up, you're so slow, you, you slowpoke!" That's another name Zack calls Cody: slowpoke. Cody came out of the bathroom with his vest and jeans on. "I'm sorry, I can't help being slow…"

Zack sighed. "Yeah you can, if you don't want to be slow, be faster! Come on." Zack said while heading out the door.

Cody rolled his eyes at Zack's dumb remark about being faster and said, "Wait, I'm hungry, I want to eat breakfast first!"

"But Cody, I really want to see Maddie… Please, please, please! We'll buy a candy bar when we go see Maddie." Zack begged. Then he mumbled, "That's what you get for waking up so late."

"What was that?" Cody questioned.

"Nothing. Nothing at all. At all."

"Fine, but mom always says that candy—" Cody got cut off by Zack. "Who cares if we have candy for breakfast? We're old enough to choose our own food, right?"

"I guess."

"Okay then, hurry up! Let us head off!" Zack said and once again started heading out the room. Carey came out of the bathroom with her robe on and a towel wrapped around her dripping hair. "Where are you two heading off so early?" Carey asked.

"Oh, we're just going to go downstairs." Zack replied.

"Where downstairs?" Carey asked, sounding so motherly.

"We're going to go see Maddie." Zack said. Carey looked at Cody and said, "Aren't you going to eat, Cody?"

Zack answered for him. "We're just going to get a candy bar, ok? Bye mom, see you later." The two boys ran out of the room.

"What did I say about having candy—Oh never mind." Carey started but stopped and went back into the bathroom.

Downstairs, Zack walked really fast. "Zack, wait up!" Cody quietly hissed. Zack grinned, "What did I say about getting faster? Come on."

Cody rolled his eyesonce againand caught up with Zack. When they were almost at the candy counter, Zack quietly whispered to Cody, "Okay… Now let me do the talking, but when I hesitate, I'll need some help to explain my nightmare. I'm gonna tell her."

Cody answered, "Sure, sure. Okay, let's go." Even though Cody didn't want to see Maddie, he had to act casual and he was doing this for Zack. Also, facing Maddie will not make Zack suspicious.

The twins rang the bell on the candy counter and Maddie turned around. "Hi Zack, hi Cody."

"Hey sweet thang!" Zack said, as he usually does.

Slowly, Cody said, "Hi…"

Maddie, being used to Zack calling her that, replied, "Where have you two troublemakers been? I haven't seen you guys in three days, or something like that… Can I get you anything?"

Since Zack ordered Cody to keep quiet, Zack did all the talking as planned. "No, it's alright. But, I need to talk to you about something. A nightmare I had…"

Maddie looked surprised. "Well, I would love to, but it's not my break yet, I just started my shift. Sorry."

Zack sounded upset. "But it'll only take about five minutes, please… I really, really need to talk about it, it just feels like I have to explain it to you." Zack made a pouting face.

"Well, if you put it that way, spill." Maddie crossed her arms and leaned on the candy counter.

So, it actually took more than five minutes to explain, about nine or ten minutes, due to all Maddie's interruptions. When Zack told Maddie about him saving her life she said, "How was I in danger?" or when Zack told Maddie Cody was the one who tied her up laughed and said, "Cody would never do that, we all know he's only into people his age, unlike some people." Maddie faced Zack at the end of the sentence,

At Maddie's last interruption, about Cody only being into people his own age, Cody knew he had to keep Maddie think that way.

* * *

Zack finished telling his nightmare without Cody helping him. At the end, Maddie stood there, stunned. "Wow… And tell me why again you are so afraid?"

Zack didn't like talking about it because for one thing is that he is afraid of losing his 'reputation' and second of all, he just did not like to talk about it.

"Um, I'm afraid of, er, I'm afraid that it's going to come true because, er, it felt, um… Kinda sort of real."

"Okay… Maybe we can fix that." Maddie suggested.

Zack was confused, but relieved that Maddie was willing to help his problem. "And how is that, Maddie?" Zack asked.

Maddie thought for a second or two and said, "Well, I'm not sure. But I can tell you this: I promise if anything comes up, anything bad or suspicious, I'm there for you." Maddie smiled. "But that doesn't mean I'm falling for you."

"Yet?" Zack tried to add.

Maddie ruffled his hair. "Maybe, but I highly doubt that, no offence."

Zack wasn't sad or anything, he tried. But he still likes her. "Darn." Was all he said.

On the other hand, Cody was still quiet. But, the thing that broke the silence was his stomach. _Grrrumble._

"Holy cow! Was that your stomach, little bro?" Zack said, eyebrows raised.

"Yeah. You said we'd buy a candy bar." Cody replied.

"Well then buy one! Goodness."

Cody hesitated, but then remembered, "I don't have any money." Zack slapped his forehead.

Maddie, who was listening to the twin's conversation, handed Cody a candy bar. "Here, squirt, I'll take care of it." She ruffled Cody's hair like she did with Zack's hair.

Cody felt his blood come to his head so he turned around and ran to the elevator saying, "Thanks, Maddie. Gotta go, um, I forgot I was going to help my mom with that… thing."

"Okay… Well, what are you up to now, Zack?" Maddie asked after the elevator doors closed.

Zack turned to Maddie and said, "I don't know. Summer break can get boring." He paused. "What. Am. I. SAYING? I just remembered, the new video game _Aliens Attack_ is out today! I have to ask mom for some money…" Remembering Maddie was still listening, he said, "Sorry, gotta go. Bye." Zack left the candy counter and head to the elevators.

When Zack entered the room, Carey was on the phone being all excited and Cody was sitting on the couch watching the Science Channel.

Zack plopped down on the couch and faced Cody; "I thought mom asked you to do something for her."

"Er, I know, but… I-I'm on a break. Yeah. Eating my candy bar…" Cody said, puling out the candy bar from his pocket.

Zack shook his head. "Whatever."

When the twins heard the phone click back in place in the receiver, Cody asked, "Who was that?"

"Well," Carey started "It was Kurt and—"

"Dad was on the phone? Why didn't you let us speak to him?" Zack said all excited.

"I'm sorry, he had to go, but he had some good news! His band is going to Egypt to meet this Egyptian Rock band, don't ask, and he got four extra tickets, and that means we get to bring somebody!" Carey exclaimed. "And guess who I had in mind?"

Zack and Cody took turns guessing, and Zack went first: "Esteban?"

"No, don't be ridiculous." Answered the mom.

"Max?"

"No."

"Tapeworm?"

"Uh uh."

"Mr. Moseby?"

"Yeah right."

"London?"

"Psh. She can go there any time." Carey said laughing.

The impatient twins said, "WHO THEN?"

Carey threw her hand in the air and said, "Maddie!"

That's when Zack's smile faded. It was happening.

-Insert break!-

A/N – Sorry, I don't feel like doing review replies… But The Nightmare is taking position! Oh the horror… Dude, this chapter is longer than the others! PLEASE REVIEW!


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